group pressure

Politicians weighed in critically as well, many of them calling for the state’s disciplinary apparatus to hold the networks, textbook publishers—some of which had followed suit changing mentions of Foster’s lyrics in their pages—and school boards that adopted these revised texts accountable for what Rep. Robert L. Sikes called “inexcusable … disgraceful censorship,” seeing the changes as a cowardly capitulation to what the newspaper of the White Citizens’ Council called “minority group pressure.”

"They might have to take more time off school, or get peer group pressure that you simply don't have as an older age group," he explained.

Critics say felony murder has too often been used to assign culpability to peripheral figures in a crime, such as the getaway driver, or to overcharge young people who are particularly vulnerable to group pressure.

“The peer group pressure on these kids is enormous,” Schwartz said.

Even though the stakes were very low, about three-quarters of participants capitulated to group pressure at least once.